Part of it doesn’t make sense to me… The article I linked says, next year Apple will release a 2nd generation Watch with its own wi-fi chip, thus eliminating the iPhone go-between… Doesn’t the Watch have a wi-fi chip RIGHT NOW? It can join previously used wi-fi networks WITHOUT the iPhone being present.

If the watch has a wi-fi chip, and it DOES, isn’t it capable of independent use if the OS allows?